Pregnant And Rejected

Charta 192. -Lockdoen

Selene

I’m woken by the sounds of blaring alarms, the sound so shrill and horrible | slam a pillow over my face before I can stop to consider what the sound might mean. It’s not until my bedroom door swings open and a young servant girl pokes her head in, that I lower the plush implement. She pulls me out of bed and helps me into a robe while my head spins.

An alarm. I think hopefully, that’s bad for Blaise.

And what’s bad for Blaise can only be good for us. Luna answers slyly.

“What’s happened?” I ask the girl helping me.

“We‘re going into lockdown, miss.” the young servant an swers, breaking the silence her station usually demands.

“What do you mean, lockdown?” | question, “What’s hap pened?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never heard the alarms go off before, but the Alpha’s orders were unequivocal. The entire above ground is locking down, so it can’t be a fire or flood.” She rea sons, her voice hoarse from lack of use.

“Did you speak to him yourself?” | ask, trying to figure out exactly what’s going on. If it’s just a lockdown and he doesn’t know where I am, I might be able to get away. But if she was specifically sent to retrieve me, I probably can’t escape with out endangering her.

com “No.” She shakes her head, “This is just standard proce

dure. I’m taking you to one of the safe rooms.”

cry, pulling her to

girl

always strongest first thing in the morning. This could be my chance to free myself, Bastien and my father at once. Helene’s voice rings in my ears, urging me to be patient, but only a fool would

don’t understand.”

city is a nightmare and I have to get out of here before it’s too late.” I declare, “I don’t want to get you in trouble and I don’t know what you might risk by running, but | want to give

guarantee Blaise and his guards are more distracted than

whimpers, “I have a family

beg,

East End, just past the park, but you can’t go out there!” She insists, “the city

I breathe, stripping off my robe and nightgown and pulling on a pair of maternity jeans, a black top and flats. “Please, promise me you won’t tell

limp, her jaw slackens, and

I praise, dashing

I might have been able to use one of the many secret passageways lining the Pack House for emer gencies, but Blaise hasn’t trusted me enough to

as quiet as possible, but I’m also painfully aware that my scent is leaving a trail behind me and anyone seeking to find me will be able to follow it with little difficulty. I have to move fast, even if it means

as I’d like to, but I know the southern wing has multiple exits, and I have to assume that most of Blaise’s security force have gone to the guard house beside the front courtyard. I have to pause at every other corner I reach, waiting for neat rows of

as I run, concealing my presence in the dim light of early morning and blinding the few guards I do encounter. The rising sun blinds me when I fi nally break out into the fresh air, feeling a rush of exhilaration to think I’m finally out of the Alpha’s palace. It

with fallen shifters, and I realize my hopes must be correct. Someone is attacking the Calypso leadership, and I doubt it’s another pack. I feel a brief moment of hesitation as I worry I might be mistaken for one of Blaise’s devoted followers and make my self a target, but I don’t have time to waste. I

away when something or someone huge grabs me from behind, lifting my feet off the ground as I yelp in surprise. Struggling to escape the man holding me, I kick and claw and his beefy arms, so preoccupied with

at the sound of someone clear ing their throat, my eyes going wide as’l see a line of guards circling myself and my captor. There at their center, is Blaise,

so quickly! feel sure I’m going to be sick. No. I think desperately, no, no, no. He can’t win that

But clearly he can.